Of Time And Gods
by Innocenzo
Summary: Falling through the voids of space, finding it difficult to hang on a minute longer, a stroke of luck, a change in fortune, sees Loki waking up in a mysterious blue box with a madman and an impossible girl. A change in place and a twist in time; the tides have turned. Post Thor, Pre-Avengers, inc. Avengers; Loki embarks on an all new adventure with the Doctor and Clara. AU
1. Prologue: Anticipation

**Title: **Of Time and Gods**  
Summary: **Falling through the voids of space, finding it difficult to hang on a minute longer, a stroke of luck, a change in fortune, sees Loki waking up in a mysterious blue box with a madman and an impossible girl. A change in place and a twist in time; the tides have turned. Post Thor, Pre-Avengers, inc. Avengers; Loki embarks on an all new adventure with the Doctor and Clara. _AU__**  
**_**Rating: **T**  
Characters: **Loki, The Doctor, Clara & The Avengers

* * *

**Of Time and Gods **

**Prologue**

**ANTICIPATION**

Alive!

Still … alive.

Awakening was hard, as always. The ultimate disappointment. It was a struggle to take in enough air to drive off the nightmare sensations of asphyxiation. Loki lay there gasping, shaking with the force of effort as water pumped out of his lungs.

* * *

_Small water droplets were connecting onto the bare skin as they ran through the yellow fields of wheat, the strands tickling the span of his alabaster chest. Sound of several feet thundering behind him echoed in his ears as his thin legs took long strides, adrenaline coursing through his body. Fear trickled down his spine lingering like an unloved guest yet his face split into a beaming grin as he ran from his adversaries. _

_Ever the one laugh in the face of danger, a cackle of glee escaped his lips before he could stop it. Those chasing him growled with infuriated vexation, as their pace quickened. _

_He glanced back, his dark hair fluttering against his ear; his green eyes, bright as blades of grass, that seemed a little too far apart to lock on to the army that he was running from and suddenly, his legs picked up again. He only managed a couple more strides before a sudden blow to the back has him hurtling towards the ground. _

_His stomach flips with disappointment but with a sharp twist of his hips, he is lying on his back, facing the fool that dared to attack him. His eyes narrow and with a flash of green, he is standing tall and proud, clad in his armour; arms crossed loudly in front of his chest in a show of arrogance and power. _

_"Do you know who I am?" His tongue lashes out in a rare moment of political defiance._

_"We do not care of your status, __**Prince**__." The mountain giant spat. _

_Loki frowned, wiping a drop of spit from his princely face. His glare deepening as he restrained his growing irritation. _

_"It would do you well to show respect to a Prince of Asgard, Giant, should my father hear about this-" he threatens. _

_"We do not fear the All Father," the giant growled heatedly. _

_"Then you truly are a fool as they say," his silvertongue attempted to work the conversation out of an immediate battle; his hands falling to his sides. _

_The giant roared, raising his sword to strike down the Prince, his army following suit but it was short lived. _

_A flash of thunder rolled through the previously clear blue skies, striking down on the giant who groaned in pain and dropped his weapon. _

_"Now you've done it," Loki sighs regretfully, stepping away from the mountain giant as his brother, The God of Thunder, Thor appeared at his side. _

_ "Dare these insolent cretins threaten you, Brother?" Thor rumbled, Mjölnir raised, ready to strike. _

_The Warriors Three and Sif appeared moments later, forming a barricade beside their Princes. _

_"Nay, Brother. The affable Giant and I were merely partaking a fracas of wits." Loki appeased, attempting to bring about the calm in a valiant effort to avert the predictable storm that followed his brother. _

_"Come now, I expect Mother would like us to be presentable __**and**__ present for repast." Loki placed a placating hand on his brother's shoulder, steering him away from the mountain giants with a warning glance. _

_Apparently that had not been cautioning enough for the reckless giant. _

_Loki stiffened as he felt a sharp sting against the blade of his shoulder, turning his head to the side; he spotted the glisten of a knife protruding from his back. Annoyance waned his aristocratic features, with a swipe of his hand the blade disappeared and the blood cleared as his impenetrable skin immediately began to heal. _

_However that had been enough for Thor to start the rampage he had so been craving since the moment he arrived. _

_Loki poised himself on a nearby boulder, elbows resting on his knees as he watched with mild amusement and displeasure as his brother and his merry band of warriors destroyed the giants. _

_"Are you quite done Brother?" Loki called after giving Thor his desired instants of entertainment. _

_The towering figure of his bulky brother sauntered towards him, a pleased beam splayed across his olive visage. His friends lingering behind. _

_Loki grasped his brother's extended arm, hauling himself up. The brothers stared at each other with kindred affection. _

_"Do you fare well Brother?" Thor asked but did not wait for a response; he knew that Loki was well equipped to heal himself. "I told you I'd protect you," the oaf smiled, referencing to a conversation they'd had several eves ago. _

_"I wasn't aware that I requested protection," Loki scoffed. _

_"Ah __**my Brother**__," Thor chortled loudly as a beam encased them as Heimdall transported them back to Asgard. _

* * *

"I have no idea where he came from, from the readings, it looks like he fell through the open void in space." The unfamiliar voice was tinged with frustration and sounds of scraping metal reached his ears.

"But how is that possible?" A second voice, higher in pitch than the first responded.

"I'm not entirely sure, that's something that we'll have to ask him when he decides to wake up."

"Do you think he will be alright?"

"I have a feeling that our guest is going to require some healthy TLC, but yes, he will be fine Clara. After all the TARDIS fixes everyone up!"


	2. Chapter 1: Unexpected Company

**Chapter 1**

**Unexpected Company  
The Milky Way Galaxy, June 2011**

He monitored the way that the _humans _– he was not entirely sure as on Day Two of his investigations, he had come to recognise that he had not, in a show of ironic fate, landed on Midgard; but actually was travelling on a ship in space – functioned. It became a practised routine for Loki, following the day in which he roused from agonising slumber, to follow the beings on board.

They were an odd pair.

There were no inclinations of romantic excursions between the man in the bow tie and the dark haired petite girl; yet there were instances in which he caught sight of them in compromising circumstances, exchanging coquettish comments. That had been Day Three.

Day Four was when he, managing to prolong his use of withdrawing magic, caught their names. The Doctor, Clara and _Sexy_ – which apparently, was the christened name of the travelling box, which Loki believe was ludicrous. Now why did that first aforementioned name ring familiar with him?

On Day Five, the screeching grind of the machine awoke him; his mirage followed the Healer and Bright as they exited the metal machine. Loki's eyes widened marginally as he stepped outside, the shadows of his nomadic companions disappearing amongst the bustling expanse of the crowds. He yearned to follow them, accompanying them on their adventure but his invisible body strained with fatigue, preventing him. He scowled bitterly as he turned his back to the wondrous new realm that sparkled with life.

It was then, when he comprehended that the mysterious blue box, dubbed as the "Police Public Call Box" as its sign read, was bigger on the inside.

He was awake when they returned, a couple days later. He was angered by their joyful mirth, the excitement bubbling from the girl's burr as she reminisced on their exploits. The sour resentment that clouded his mind had him retreating away from listening to more of her honey-like voice.

It was on Day Eight that his clandestine disguise was discovered. Though, now, looking back, he wondered if it had been much of a façade to begin with for the Healer.

"Are you planning on showing yourself to us any time soon?" The man smiled unnervingly at him.

Loki reeled back in shock. For a brief moment, he wondered if the enigmatic man was speaking to another, but as the man's gaze fell straight on his imperceptible person, the question fell from his mind. The girl, Clara, who had previously been engrossed with her fictional book, turned her doe-eyed gaze in his general direction. A startled gasp tumbled from her lips as he materialised in full form. With proficient grasp, he kept the trauma of discomfort from appearing on his features.

"How long have you known?" Loki asked the man, he should not have been able to sense his presence.

"Oh the second you decided to spy on us," he smiled, stepping towards him. Loki frowned, taking a step back, keeping his distance from his kidnappers.

"Why wait until now?" Loki pressed, his usually vivid mind failing to thread the strings together.

"Wouldn't want to scare you off now would we?" He smirked.

Loki felt unsettled, he attempted to retreat but his magic failed him. Panicked he set an intimidating glare on the man. "What have you done to me?" He ground, aggravated.

"Running away from the face of risk?" Loki flinched minutely. "Come now Loki, you're greater than that." This time Loki did recoil.

"How do you know of me?" His voice quiet, laced with threat. He may not have his magic, but his Asgardian strength was a thousand times greater that this _Doctor_.

"You wound me with those words Loki," the man mocked. "Don't tell me that you don't remember me?"

"Doctor? What's going on?" the meek voice of the girl peeked from the corner.

Loki frowned. _The Doctor._ There was that name again. Why did it sound so conversant? A memory from eons ago; an echo in his mind that he could not grasp on long enough to trace back to its source.

"Perhaps this should restart that brilliant mind of yours."

Loki grudgingly followed the Doctor's gaze to the blaring screen. That face. Those wispy brown curls. The large, brown, soulful eyes that Asgardian women had swooned over. That brown hat and that outlandish variegated scarf that he and _Thor_, Loki sneered, had ridiculed the man for.

"Doctor? _What's going on?_" Clara reiterated, walking up to the Time Lord, standing next to him.

Doctor. The _Doctor._ His Doctor.

Loki's eyes flew wide open with unconstrained shock as he snapped his head to stare at the man with the new face.

"It really is you," he commented, the man's smile ringing clear to him of many times in the past when it had been directed at him.

"Hello Loki." The Doctor grinned, walking towards the Asgardian Prince, pulling him into his embrace. Loki stiffened under a touch of familiarity and fondness that he felt like he had not embraced for centuries. The Doctor frowned at Loki's unresponsiveness.

"I - it's been some time. How does Lady Sarah Jane fare?" Loki asked his old comrade of his companion.

The old eyes of the young man filled with sorrow, "I'm afraid that I have seen her in a while, but she has a son now, adopted. I hear that they are doing well."

Loki's face crumpled. That wretched word, a pit of self-loathing bubbled in his stomach. It took the Doctor a moment to comprehend the anguish on Loki's face before it sunk on.

"Oh the Norns," he breathed an Asgardian axiom. "He didn't."

Loki stared at his friend, his initial heartache fading as cynicism started to bleed through. "**You knew**." The words like bitter poison on his mouth. The words were whispered but they held more weight as they landed to rest on the Doctor's wilting shoulders.

"You were never meant to find out," the Doctor said, somehow that did not appease the Prince.

"_You knew?_ Was there anyone who didn't know apart from me? Is there no one I can trust?" He anguish in his voice was heart breaking.

"Loki," the Doctor tried to reason. "Don't be dramatic, the only ones who new were your parents and Heimdall. Not even the Council are aware of your true origin."

"**No.** Do not touch me." He seethed, lurching away from the Doctor's extended hand. "How could you?"

"Because I knew from the moment I met you." He replied bewilderingly. "I knew of what fates had in store for you with that knowledge and I wanted to prevent it. I _warned_ Odin, and he did not heed my counsel."

"Odin was not the one to tell me." Acrid antipathy was the only sentiment on Loki's expression. "I figured it out on the day that a Frost Giant laid its worthless arms upon me and in lieu of burning my skin, as it would do to an _Asgardian_, I turned." Loki spat with disgust.

"A stolen relic, raised and disciplined for the sole purpose of passing an alliance between execrated enemies; a Prince with no right to the throne he was brought up to believe that he had an equal standing to. Tell me _Doctor_ was that your plan too?"

The Doctor stared at the young man in front of him with distress, how full of hostility he was. "Was that purpose not one of nobleness to you Loki? To be the one to bring peace among two worlds?"

"I'd rather see the likes of Asgard and Jotunheim burn than to acknowledge that I am the Son of Laufey." Loki seethed, tears scorching his eyes, threatening to spill.

He spun on his heels; his back to the Doctor, it felt as though the air around him was being constricted, he couldn't _breathe_. Panic descended, the sensation all too familiar to the drowning he had recently experienced. His nerves stood on end, his magic pressing against the cast of his skin, wanting to expel in a rare show of abandoned hurt.

"No matter how much we try Loki," Loki paused by the stairs at the tone of the Doctor's voice, shoulders tensed as he reigned in his depressive mood. "We cannot change who we are underneath our skin. No matter how much we detest it."

Loki stalked off, letting the machine control the ways of his path as the Doctor's words echoed through the hollow metal walls; ringing in his ear repetitively.

* * *

_Loki, with the wish of making the Æsir and the Vanir friendly to him, brought out the wonderful things he had gained from the Dwarfs-the spear Gungnir and the boat Skidbladnir. __The Æsir and the Vanir marvelled at things so wonderful, they were like magpies, eyes feasting and admiring over anything that gleamed in the sunlight - anything that resembled power. __Loki had gifted the spear to Odin; and to Frey, who was chief of the Vanir, he gave the boat Skidbladnir. __All of Asgard rejoiced that possessions so magnificent had been brought to them._

_And Loki, who had made a great show in giving these gifts, said boastingly: "None but the Dwarfs who work for me could make such things. There are other Dwarfs, but they are as unhandy as they are misshapen. The Dwarfs who are my servants are the only ones who can make such wonders." _

_Loki in his arrogance had said a foolish thing. __There were other Dwarfs besides those who had worked for him, and one of these was there in Asgard. __All unknown to Loki he stood in the shadow of Odin's seat, listening to what was being said. __The dwarf trotted over to Loki, his little, unshapely form trembling with rage-Brock, the most spiteful of all the Dwarfs._

_"Ha, Loki, you boaster," he roared, "You lie in your words. Sindri, my brother, who would scorn to serve you, is the best smith in Svartheim."_

_The Æsir and the Vanir laughed to see Loki outbraved by Brock the Dwarf in the middle of his bragging. __As they laughed Loki grew angry._

_"Be silent, Dwarf," he said, "your brother will know about smith's work when he goes to the Dwarfs who are my friends, and learns something from them."_

_"He learns from the Dwarfs who are your friends!" Brock roared, in a greater rage than before. "The things you have brought out of Svartheim would not be noticed by the Æsir and the Vanir if they were put beside the things that my brother Sindri can make."_

_"Sometime we will try your brother Sindri and see what he can do," said Loki._

_"Try now," Brock shouted. "I'll wager my head against yours, Loki, that his work will make the Dwellers in Asgard laugh at your boasting."_

_"I will take your wager," said Loki. "My head against yours. And glad will I be to see that ugly head of yours off your misshapen shoulders."_

_"The Æsir will judge whether my brother's work is not the best that ever came out of Svartheim. And they will see to it that you will pay your wager, Loki, the head off your shoulders. Will ye not sit in judgment, O'Dwellers in Asgard?"_

_"We will sit in judgment," said the Æsir. _

_Two weeks later, the Æsir and the Vanir were seated in the Council House of Asgard when a train of Dwarfs appeared before them. Brock came at the head of the train, and he was followed by a band of Dwarfs carrying things of great weight. __Brock and his attendants stood round the throne of Odin, and harkened to the words of the Father of the Gods._

_"We know why you have come into Asgard from out of Svartheim," Odin said. "You have brought things wonderful and profitable to the Dwellers in Asgard. Let what you have brought be seen, Brock. If they are more wonderful and more useful than the things Loki has brought out of Svartheim, the spear Gungnir and the boat Skidbladnir, we will give judgment for you."_

_Then Brock commanded the Dwarfs who waited on him to show the Dwellers in Asgard the first of the wonders that Sindri had made. __They brought out the boar, Golden Bristle. The Dwellers in Asgard said one to the other that this was a wonder indeed. But none would say that the boar was a better thing to have in Asgard than the spear that would hit the mark no matter how badly it was flung, or the boat Skidbladnir that would sail on any sea, and that could be folded up so small that it would fit in any one's pocket._

_To Frey, Brock gave the wondrous boar._

_Then the attending Dwarfs showed the armring that was as bright as the circle of the Sun. __All admired the noble ring. And when it was told how every ninth night this ring dropped eight rings of gold that were like itself, the Dwellers in Asgard spoke aloud, all saying that Draupnir, the Ring of Increase, was a wonder indeed. __Hearing their voices raised, Brock looked triumphantly at Loki who was standing there with his lips drawn closely together._

_To Odin, the Father of the Gods, Brock gave the noble armring._

_Then he commanded the attending Dwarfs to lay before Thor the hammer Mjölnir. __Thor took the hammer up and swung it around his head. __As he did so he uttered a great cry. And the eyes of the Dwellers in Asgard lightened up when they saw Thor with the hammer Mjölnir in his hands; their eyes lightened up and from their lips came the cry, "This is a wonder, a wonder indeed! With this hammer in his hand none can withstand Thor, our Champion. No greater thing has ever come into Asgard than the hammer Mjölnir."_

_It was decided, that The Dwarf Brock, had indeed managed to bring forth something that was more worthy to Asgard than Loki's gifts. _

_"The hammer Mjölnir that the Dwarf Brock has brought into Asgard is a thing wonderful indeed and profitable to the Gods. In Thor's hands it can crush mountains, and hurl the Giant race from the ramparts of Asgard. Sindri the Dwarf has forged a greater thing than the spear Gungnir and the boat Skidbladnir. There can be no other judgment." Odin gave his verdict. _

_Brock looked at Loki, showing his gnarled teeth. "Now, Loki, yield your head__**, yield your head**__," he cried._

_"Do not ask such a thing," said Odin. "Put any other penalty on Loki for mocking you and tormenting you. Make him yield to you the greatest thing that it is in his power to give."_

_"Not so," screamed Brock. "You Dwellers in Asgard would shield one another. But what of me? Loki would have taken my head had I lost the wager. Loki has lost his head to me. Let him kneel down now till I cut it off."_

_Loki came forward, smiling with closed lips. "I kneel before you, Dwarf," he said. "Take off my head. But be careful. Do not touch my neck. I did not bargain that you should touch my neck. If you do, I shall call upon the Dwellers in Asgard to punish you."_

_Brock drew back with a snarl. "Is this the judgment of the Gods?" he asked._

_"The bargain you made, Brock," said Odin, "was an evil one, and all its evil consequences you must bear."_

_Brock, in a rage, looked upon Loki, and he saw that his lips were smiling. _

_He stamped his feet enraged. He went up to Loki and said, "I may not take your head, but I can do something with your lips that mock me."_

_"What would you do, Dwarf?" asked Thor._

_"Sew Loki's lips together," said Brock, "so that he can do no more mischief with his talk. You Dwellers in Asgard cannot forbid me to do this. Down, Loki, on your knees before me."_

_Loki looked round on the Dwellers in Asgard and he saw that their judgment was that he must kneel before the Dwarf. He knelt down with a frown upon his brow. _

_"Draw your lips together, Loki," said Brock. _

_Loki drew his lips together while his eyes flashed fire. __With an awl that he took from his belt Brock pierced Loki's lips. He took out a thong and tightened them together. Then in triumph the Dwarf looked on Loki._

_"Oh Loki," he said, "You boasted that the Dwarfs who worked for you were better craftsmen than Sindri, my brother. Your words have been shown to be lies. And now you cannot boast for a while."_

_Brock, with great majesty, walked out of the Council House of Asgard, and the attending Dwarfs marched behind him in procession. Down the passages in the earth the Dwarfs went, singing the song of Brock's triumph over Loki. And in Svartheim it was told forever after how Sindri and Brock had prevailed._

_In Asgard, now that Loki's lips were closed, there was peace and a respite from mischief. _

_No one amongst the Æsir or the Vanir were sorry when Loki had to walk about in silence with his head bent low._

* * *

Loki's eyes snapped open with perturbed horror. Uncontrollable rage and pain pumped through his veins, he let out his frustration with a push of magic, the possessions in the room crashing, burning, _destroyed_.

How that memory from centuries ago remained so fresh on his mind; he could still feel the sting of the blade stripping his mouth, the pierce of the needle as the unbreakable thread was sown. Mjölnir. _That blasted hammer_. And Thor. Somehow, it was always Thor who was indirectly involved with his most excruciating punishments.

Another blast of magic expelled from his person.

The TARDIS groaned with strain under his attack.

* * *

**A/N.**

The flashback was taken and paraphrased from The Children of Odin, by Padriac Colum. _He wrote it far better than I ever could._ So, a little bit of history and into the past of Loki's life. It was never fair for him was it? Whilst Thor got away with boasting about his wins on the battlefield, Loki could not even speak out about his pride in his dwarf friends.

I should probably make it clear that this takes place after Loki lets go of the sceptre and falls down the void. How he became to be on the TARDIS will be revealed in due time.

I'm just letting the words flow and the story unfold for now.

Also perhaps it's best to mention that this story in the DW world takes place after the 50th anniversary. So, Gallifrey Falls No More.

This does have a larger part to play when we get to the core of the store, when the Avengers come in, and this is an _AU_, so you're not going to get Loki leading the Chitauri to battle on Earth. But there's something … _better_ – or so I hope.

Do leave reviews and love/hate!


	3. Chapter 2: A Gentlemen's Accord

**Chapter 2  
**

**A Gentlemen's Wager  
Asgard, November 2011**

"The Earth is lost to us." The voice of a weary Prince reached Heimdall's ears.

"No. There is always hope." Heimdall replied.

Hope. Hope was what they needed, the only emotion strong enough to overcome pain.

"Can you see him?" Thor asked, looking out into the void, desperate need laced in his words.

The Gatekeeper shook his head. "I cannot see him."

Thor looked at him with unbridled surprise and hope. "He hides from your sight?"

"I cannot say my Lord, but I suspect that should your brother want to be found, he will reveal himself."

* * *

He was falling. Falling into the dark abyss. A void of nothing. A pillage of pain. Alone. Always alone. Forever falling. Why was he falling? Why did he let go? Scorching fire.

No Loki. _No Loki._ **_No Loki. _**

With a gasp, he bolted upright in bed, his conjured dagger up against someone's throat. He could feel the sweat coursing over his body as his heart pounded in his ears, chest struggling to draw breath. Shaking the tears out of his eyes, he looked at the girl sitting calmly at his bedside.

"You're really loud, did you know that?" She asked, making no more towards the dagger against her throat.

He sagged, feeling the weight once more falling on his shoulders as he reclaimed sight into reality, into the now. Withdrawing his hand, the dagger disappeared.

"Leave," he ordered, and she did.

But he did not want to be alone.

* * *

"Thor, this is madness." Sif cried as she briskly walked beside him.

It had become a habit for Asgardians to see their Crown Prince walking to the broken Bifröst. Though it was commonly believed that the Prince was still enamoured with the maiden he'd met on Midgard, only the Warriors Three and Sif, aside from the King and Queen, knew of his true purpose.

"It has always been madness around Loki, Sif." Thor chuckled humourlessly.

"He does not deserve your love," Sif said mildly, scorn evident in her voice.

Thor stopped cold, his form tensing as he reigned in his anger.

"He is my brother." He voice strained. "It would do you well to remember that." He added before he walked off, Sif staring at his retreating figure with surprise.

* * *

Solitude.

That's what suited Loki best. Being alone.

Often in his youth, Loki found Asgardians overbearing. Their narcissistic views on what qualified as a successful warrior sickened him as they constantly looked down upon him for choosing to pursue the study of magic above joining the his brother on the training ground to battle. Loki never truly comprehended how one could assume that brawn brought more skills than mind. He thoroughly argued that in the presence of political parties, a Prince should have more wits about him than his confrères. However, Thor had never truly grasped that.

It wasn't uncommon to find the dark-haired Prince spending more time with the maidens of Asgard schooling in the art of Magic. It also came as no surprise to Asgardians when the Queen encouraged him in his endeavours. It was communal knowledge that Queen Frigga was well versed in the arts and that of her two sons, she'd always held a larger spot in her heart for her youngest as Odin did his eldest.

Whilst Thor pursued the battalions to impress upon his father, Loki studied arts so that he could amaze his mother with impressive illusions.

Loki suddenly found himself wistfully yearning for a mother's touch. To have her tender hands running through his hair as she appraised him, just like she used to in his infancy.

The dream was shattered however, when a warm hand lay to rest on the cap of his knee. His eyes cracked open and he found himself gazing into the tender brown eyes of Clara Oswald.

His leg lurched away from her touch in a move of instinctive defence. A look of desolate shock briefly filtered through her face before she gave him a kind stare.

"You have not been out in days," she muttered, meekly stating the obvious, straining fact that hung in the air of the TARDIS since his reunion with the Doctor.

His face remained impassive.

"There's some food in the kitchen, if you want some?" She asked almost naively.

A look of affront passed her features, as he palpably ignored her; she narrowed her eyes at him, but did not say anything as she walked off.

* * *

Ferocious thunder rumbled and cracked in Asgard. For the Crown Prince was upset.

His brother was a Jötunn.

He thought that he would feel disgust, contempt, anger, betrayal … but he felt none.

He felt numb.

All their lives, it'd all been a lie.

No, he did feel anger, betrayal, disgust, contempt – at his father and mother.

How could they?

How could they have kept this from him? From Loki?

_"The Jötunns must learn to__** fear**__ me just as they once feared you."_

What had he done? His head dropped into his hands as he mourned.

"Best leave him," Volstagg placed and hand on Sif's shoulder to stop her from going to Thor. "He needs to mourn."

If only they knew.

* * *

He found her in the library, two days later.

He'd been careful in his avoidance of the travellers on-board the ship. He did not wish for another confrontation with either Time Lord or his companion so he pursued his seclusion. Vanishing from sight, he walked towards her, the trickster in him yearning to give her a fright. He stopped stone cold, however, when he discerned what she was reading.

Norse Mythology - more specifically, the section on him.

He'd come across that book the morning before; a part of him had wanted to burn the daft volume after he read the utter idiocy that had been printed. Now he wished he had.

"I thought it was an unspoken Midgard practice to not pry upon others' personal sentience." He commented.

The girl let out a startled scream, her head snapping in his direction so fast, that for a moment he was convinced that she procured whiplash.

"Don't do that!" She admonished, eyebrows drawing together as she frowned.

He remained stoic, his left eyebrow raised in an ironic manner of impatient anticipation.

"I was curious." She replied, after a moments pause, as though that was an alibi for her prying.

"About?" He sat down in the battered armchair opposite her, folding his legs, resting his ankle atop his knee. He was poised in such a regal manner that Clara had no trouble believing that he was royalty. He took a brief moment to acknowledge that she was stunned he was bothering to continue the conversation.

"Why you're such a sour puss." She attacked. "… And whether the myths were true. So you are not an evil megalomaniac, father of a wolf, and eight-legged horse, the ruler of Hel?" She questioned; she spoke incredibly fast for something so small.

The demi god raised his eyebrow sardonically at her, before rudely returning to his book on Astrophysics.

"Are you always this bold?" He replied with a question as he flicked through the pages, eyes scanning at a furious pace as he absorbed the knowledge.

He caught the movement on her shoulder as she nonchalantly shrugged.

"I think you may find, Miss Oswald, that stories get twisted and warped as time passes until very little truth remains."

"So it's not true?"

Loki shrugged, "You tell me."

Silence ensued.

His illusion watched her as she impertinently returned to her book, enraptured with the words, losing communication with the world around her.

"You're not the first you know." He commented, his quiet voice calling like a bullhorn after several hours of mutual silence in the library.

She looked up form her mythology book, considering him for a few moments before she replied, "First what?"

"Companion."

A look of confusion briefly fluttered through her eyes before she peeked at him assertively through her dark eyelashes.

"I am aware that the Doctor has previously had other companions." she replied diplomatically.

"And you're definitely not the last." He finished.

"That doesn't bother me, I'm glad."

"Glad?" His attention was now completely on her, his book discarded on his lap.

"Yes, the Doctor shouldn't be alone. He needs someone with him, otherwise he loses himself."

"Does it not bother you, that there were so many before you?" He squinted his eyes at her and the insolent girl merely shrugged, quietly standing up and leaving the room.

That too, appeared to be becoming a habit.

* * *

"Thor!" Fandral spoke with surprise as their friend entered the sandy dunes of the practice ground. It had been two months since they had last seen the Prince. They had tried to call him out, away from the solitude of his room, from brooding but he had refused. His behaviour so reminiscent of his lost brother, that they had been worried they would lose him too, to the darkness that could fog one's heart. It was relieving, to see that familiar blond mane, glittering under the glare of the sunlight in the grounds again.

"My friends," Thor greeted, a smile on his face.

"It's wonderful to see you my friend," Volstagg thumped the tall Asgardian with welcoming reception.

"As I, you." He shook hands with his fellow warriors. His posture, however, remained guarded.

"Are you willing to spar with me, my Lord?" Sif smirked playfully, in an attempt to dismiss the evident Nidhogg in the room, as the Warriors Three smiled worriedly with familiarity.

Their forced smiles plummeted immediately, however, as Thor declined.

"What's wrong Thor?" Sif asked with concern, her eyes scanning him over for signs of illness. Perhaps leaving him to his own devices had not been the best plan of action.

"I want to find a path to Midgard, and I am obliged to request your assistance."

* * *

"Do you plan on speaking to him? You won't even stand in the same room as him." Clara pointed.

It had become a systematic. The two of them in the library, with a book, every evening. Whilst Loki seemed to be flying through the books like wildfire, Clara, was still reading that godforsaken drivel of Norse mythology which was exactly what it's name suggested.

Myth.

"I do not wish to be in his presence." Loki scowled; his eyes remained trained on the inked words. Perhaps he should find elsewhere to be in peace, their almost non-existent repartee was becoming mundane.

"He's not perfect you know, he makes mistakes; but the important thing is that he regrets them and tries to make amends. Can you say the same about yourself?"

That evening ended far too quickly for his liking, loathed, as he was to admit it. Loki stared at her retreating figure with disdain.

* * *

"That's utterly ludicrous, Thor!" Sif threw her hands in the air in a show of exasperation.

"Calm down Lady Sif," Hogun reprimanded, commanding serenity.

"But Sif is true," Fandral spoke, "the Bifröst is gone, we have no hope of reaching Midgard without befalling inevitable forfeiture in the void. It's suicide."

Fandral looked at Thor for signs of agreement, but saw none. His mood depleted. These plans of insanity were not new to them; after all, Loki had brought plenty to the table for years. However, Loki always thought three steps ahead, had a definite strategy on his mind and almost always, it worked. The rare occurrence that it did not, he had a back up plan, and they escaped, no matter the consequences. Loki may be ridiculed for his interest and apt in magic, but Fandral recognised it as a talent that had saved their hides more than just a few times, he'd lost count after the second century. But Thor, Thor was reckless. Thor had led them to Jotunheim and had almost got him killed. He did not doubt his Prince, yet at the same time, he wasn't sure if he was prepared to go head in first on a troublesome adventure that was destined to bring grief and pain, _again_.

"There are several means to reach other realms," Thor spoke, for the first time since their outburst.

Silence struck among the comrades.

"Only Loki knew of those hidden pockets, Thor, and even still, the quest is absurd. It will take us months, many months to find the right door to Midgard. Who knows what peril we'll find in this mad search? You have to give this up." Sif moaned, the Warriors dutifully, stayed silent. "Loki cannot be found. Heimdall cannot see him. He is lost."

"**He is not lost, Lady Sif**." Thor thundered. "My brother's body would have emerged in Heimdall's sight if he truly is gone from this world. But it has not. He is out there and he _needs_ me. Do you understand? He _needs_ **_me_**." Thor crumbled.

Sif took a step back; everyday he appeared to be becoming more distant to them, unrecognisable in this new show of emotion, of _weakness_.

"We understand, Thor. But why Midgard?" Hogun asked, placing a consoling hand upon his friend's shoulder.

Sif's featured clouded with anguish at his next words, "I need to find Jane."

* * *

He had half a mind to return to his room the very moment he placed a foot on the platform of the console room. The light tinkering sound reaching his ears from beneath him informed him that the Time Lord was meddling with the contraption again.

He briefly wondered how one machine managed to run for so long with such continuous toying. Were he not already aware that the machine was practically a living bio-organism, with a mind of its own, he'd have been truly worried for his safety.

Before he could turn around and retreat to the safety that solitude brought him, the Doctor's voice stopped him.

"Loki!" The man cried cheerfully without hostility, acting as though their confrontation six eves ago did not occur.

Sighing, he turned back around, trying not to let his bewilderment show.

"All of time and space did you say?" He said, halting any other words that would have spilled from the man's mouth. Sometimes, it was just best to forget than to forgive.

A look of understanding passed between the two old men.

"That's my line." The Time Lord smirked.

From his peripheral view, Loki saw Clara emerge from her bedroom.

"Indeed." Loki quipped, not at all apologetic.

"Well then," he said merrily, hopping over to the consoles, hammering away at the buttons and levers at his disposal. "Where do you want to go?"

Clara joined the time traveller, grinning at the prospect of a new planet. The energy was almost contagious … _almost_.

Loki let himself go as the TARDIS thrummed to life.

* * *

**A/N.**

So my focus is on characterization and building the plot, and I hope & pray that I am getting it right.

It is not my intention to make Sif a negative character in this story, but from what I've perceived of her from myths, stories and the films, she just comes across as a brave woman has proven herself amongst the throngs of men she stands by, yet she is tainted in character by her childish grudge against Loki that has not eased in the many years since the 'hair' incident and jealousy over Jane who managed to capture the heart of the one man she'd been pining after for since childhood. She isn't perfect, she has flaws and she has a long way to come before she is redeemed; but we all need to hit rock bottom before we find out way back out again. I just have this massive 'what if' lingering in my mind about what could have been prevented, had Sif and the Warriors Three not ventured out to Earth because they were 'sure' that Loki was up to no good.

Just in case it was not made clear, time on Asgard and on the TARDIS are passing differently. While Loki has only been with the Doctor for a little less than a fortnight, it has been just a little more than two months on Asgard.

Thank you to Mallakai who reviewed the last chapter and all those who favourite and followed this story. I do hope that I am doing justice to your expectation, and can't wait to write, edit and post more!

But anyway, reviews are most welcome. I do love reading them, and hearing your feedback. Until next time…


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